The Road to Nothing
by lazywriter123
Summary: The world is ending and the BAU team must fight to survive. Full summary in first chapter.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**: After a terrible war, the world is left in shambles. Food is scarce, disease caused by the bombing and radiation is rampaging around the world, and human race is slowly disappearing. With little hope and modern civilization gone, the once great BAU team is left to travel to the last strong hold of the human race. The journey is long and dangerous, will the team survive?

I've always wanted to write a story based on this idea I had long ago. So I decided to turn it into a fan fiction.

I don't own Criminal minds

Enjoy

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Morgan steps outside of the large tent and sees the smog covering the once blue sky. He wasn't sure of the sky would ever be blue again. Now it was a mixture of brown and grey, with hints of black if the weather was bad. The horizon was covered by what was left of their hometown and of the BAU office they once worked at.

The air smelled putrid, like death and pollution put together. It was sickening for anyone but Morgan and the others have soon grown used to the smell.

It has been six months since the bombing and when they started to live in a makeshift tent together since their homes were destroyed. They were all fine and the bomb shelter protected them from the explosions. Since then the majority of the people that survived, including themselves, have been scavenging for food and water. They managed to find a lake and Spencer built a filter to clean the water so they could use it. However many of the people have been dying due to disease and hunger.

Morgan thought about how the world came to this. Why did this happen?

**Flashback**

_Our top story tonight, at the Geneva Convention in London, the leaders of the world had a major argument that sparked tremendous tension between them. They threatened each other with nuclear warfare and now the world is on edge. More later as the story develops. _

The BAU office stared at the TV until Strauss turned it off.

"Get back to work and stop listening to their garbage. The world is always fighting, soon it will blow over."

**End Flashback**

After the bombing started there was complete chaos. The world fell to pieces. People all over the world begged the government to stop and think about the protection of its people. But the pleas fell on deaf ears. Now there was nothing left and the government…basically disappeared. Waiting for the world to die.

"Derek" called Penelope.

Morgan snapped out of his thoughts and saw Garcia stepping out of the tent. She was wearing a large sweatshirt and a long skirt under it. She had to make her clothes by hand and since there was very little material to work with, it wasn't much to wear other then warm, bulky clothing. The same was for the rest of them.

"Yeah, Baby-girl?"

"We have to start looking for food. The sun doesn't stay up forever."

Morgan nodded and went inside the tent to walk the others.

They managed to find a number of warm blankets, but since it was always so cold now, they had to huddle together to keep warm.

Morgan and Garcia woke them up and the rest of them popped their heads out of the mountain of blankets.

Spencer started to cough at bit when he got up. The team was worried that he was developing some sort of sickness, so they let him sleep the longest and have a bit more food and water. Reid usually refused the extra food since he wanted them to also have enough to eat.

They got up and got out of the tent. JJ stayed behind to watch the stuff; she had her gun near here just in case as well.

They walked for a mile until they found a small abandoned plot of soil that had some vegetable growing in it. Finding these was common since the owners usually were found dead or have left.

Garcia and Hotch picked the vegetables, while Morgan and Spencer made baskets out of two watering cans they found in the mounds of trash and debris. Spencer found a large tea pot and a bucket to use to get some water from the lake.

Rossi and Prentiss were out hunting for any wildlife they could find. Eventually they found a wild rabbit and a fox. They killed them a skinned them for their meat.

It was almost nightfall when they got back to the tent. JJ and Hotch started a fire. Morgan cooked the meat and vegetables. They found enough food to feed the team for the day.

"Soon there won't be enough food to feed all of us. The food at the grocery stores has been ransacked and besides it wasn't long until it was found out that the food was contaminated" said Rossi with a snort.

"I agree Dave, we have to do something or we'll soon starve" said Hotch with a grim look.

JJ spoke up, "The people that have been leaving have been saying there is a large settlement in the west. Around California to be exact. I think we should head there. I mean it's not like we have any chance in Virginia."

They sighed, "She is right. We can save up some food and build so wagons" said Prentiss.

"We'll start first thing in the morning" said Garcia.

Spencer kept coughing again.

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	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Criminal Minds

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The team managed to find enough wood and some wheels from abandoned cars to build the wagons. It took them about three days to complete the project but they were overall successful and the wagons could hold whatever they needed for the trip and they could be used for shelter during the night.

Reid and Garcia worked long into the night to find extra food and supplies. The found about five baskets worth of vegetables, some buckets they could use for water, more blankets and pillows, and some medicine in what was left of the hospital.

The others packed whatever they had into the wagons. They would take turns pulling one of the wagons, except for Spencer.

He was still coughing violently and the other night they noticed that he was developing a fever. He would have to stay in one of the wagons and rest.

"The medicine we found will help but it won't last long. The settlement will be able to more hopefully" said Garcia.

Hotch nodded, "On the way will try to find another hospital."

They filled the wagons and made a soft bed of blankets and pillows for Spencer. They found mattress that was still intact in the ruins of a house. They cleaned it and fixed it up so Spencer could rest comfortably.

Finally after four days of packing and preparation, they finished and headed out of Quantico. They looked back at what was left of their home. They wished they could stay but there was nothing left of their home but ruins and smog.

They rolled the wagons out and onto what was left of the main road out of the city. The road was littered with cars and car parts. On the side of the road was a airplane that crashed.

During the war, there were major power failures around the country. Not to mention a large shortage on oil and gas. It made travel nearly impossible and caused airplanes to have power then engine failure mid-flight.

They walked along the road and saw the remains of people who were exposed to massive amounts of radiation and the bombings.

Morgan could hear Spencer coughing loudly in the wagon. He hopped in and saw that Spencer was sweating and breathing heavily.

They knew that had to find a doctor or someone that can help him. Or else he could die.

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	3. Chapter 3

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It wasn't long until they saw the "You are now leaving Virginia" sign, or at least what was left of it. It was only up by one metal pole which was bent over and slowly falling to the ground. There were even bullet holes in the sign.

Morgan and Hotch were pulling the wagon that Spencer was sleeping in while the others were pulling the other wagon.

The sky was turning black so they knew rain was coming. Before they left, they turned canvas bags into tarps to put over the wagons. That way they could be protected from the rain.

They set up the tarps and got into the wagons to wait out the rain. They watched as the blackened rain drops fell to the ground. Since the war began, the bombings and contamination turned rainwater in to black, slippery drops that smelled of oil and dirt. IT was disgusting and gave them a feeling of dread rather than the calming feeling that normal rain once brought them.

It made them realize how little was left of their world…and it made them fearful of the future.

That is if there was a future.

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The next day they traveled west and found a small abandoned town. The sign said it had a population of 600, it was a fairly small town but it was still intact nonetheless.

They managed to find a lot of food and fresh water there, plus more medicine for Spencer. Yet he didn't seem to be getting better at all.

That night, Morgan fed Spencer some warm soup that Garcia made for dinner. After he was done, he placed him back into the wagon and made sure he was comfortable.

"Morgan" said Spencer in a weak voice.

"Yes?"

"…my stomach hurts…"

Then Spencer vomited up the soup and water he had not too long ago.

Morgan was stunned but cleaned him up and tucked him in so he could sleep. Still Morgan felt his heart drop into his stomach when he saw Spencer vomit. It meant that he was getting worse and time was running out.

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	4. Chapter 4

I don't own Criminal minds

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That night at the abandoned town, the team was dreaming about what happened before the war destroyed their home… before the world started to end.

**JJ's Flashback**

"JJ…I just got drafted this morning…I'm being sent out to battle tomorrow. From what I understand, the government is using anyone who is able to fight" said Will in a solemn voice.

"Will you CAN'T! What about Henry? What about our family?" JJ had tears in her eyes and her heart was breaking.

Will held her tight and cried as well. "There is nothing we can do now. I'll be back soon. Just tell Henry I'm going on a trip."

JJ nodded and held him close for a long time.

The next day she watched as he walked onto the bus and to the fort far from home. That was the last time she saw him.

Not long after that, Henry got sick from the fumes in the air. In only seven days, he was dead and buried at the cemetery. The funeral was sober and full of tears.

**Garcia's Flashback**

Kevin and Garcia were in Garcia's apartment, the power went out in Kevin's apartment so he had to stay at her place. Blackouts were extremely common in the city and pretty much everywhere.

"Penelope, my mom is very ill right now so I'm going to New York to take care of her. Promise me that you'll be alright while I'm gone."

Garcia nodded and held him close.

Kevin's plane crashed due to power and computer failure. There were no survivors.

**Hotch's Flashback**

"Hey buddy…do you want to go to the pack" asked Hotch when he saw his son, Jack, walk into the kitchen.

"Sure dad" he said with a smile.

At the park they played catch until a man in a grey suit came up to them.

"Sir, I work for the government's new agency for the protection of our youth. As of right now, all uncontaminated children are being taken to a special location for the duration for the war."

Hotch couldn't believe his ears, children being taken away from their own parents.

"That's inhuman and against our natural rights."

"Rights or no rights, your son belongs to the government now."

More men in suit came and grabbed Jack and took him away. Hotch was tazered multiple times and begged them to give his son back until he blacked out.

After a few months they found out that since there wasn't enough food to feed the children at the locations, many of them starved to death. Jack was one of them.

The agency was disbanded but it was so unorganized that many of the children were sent to wrong families or left to fend for themselves.

**Morgan's Flashback**

Morgan hasn't heard from his mother and sister for a long time. Since the phones barley worked, communication was nearly impossible.

Eventually he deiced to travel to Chicago on his own. He traveled there by car since he didn't trust the airlines as much as he used to.

It took him a few weeks but he managed to make it to Chicago, but to his horror, he found that the city was completely destroyed. It was bombed and burned down. Nothing and no one was left. Morgan wept for days and prayed that his mother and sisters would be happy now that there were no longer on this earth.

**Rossi's Flashback**

Rossi found out by letter that his family was killed in a large air raid and the bombing that took place.

He went home to be at the funeral and find anything left of their belongings in the charred house.

He found a picture of the family, still in its frame and almost completely unscathed. Rossi kept the photo and would remember all the wonderful memories he had with them until the war took them away.

**Prentiss's Flashback**

Prentiss's mom was killed in a riot not far from where she was living. The food shortage left many people angry and demanded more help from the government to stop the war and help its people.

Soldiers were called in and opened fire on the crowd. Emily's mother was shot three times and then died.

**Reid's Flashback**

Spencer's mother committed suicide after the first bombings. She leapt out of a three-story window.

She claimed that it was the end of the world. The doctors couldn't even stop her. Spencer would at times questions whether they let her do it.

Still it was a crushing blow and left Spencer in tears and intense grief for over two weeks. After that he started to get sick.

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	5. Chapter 5

I don't own Criminal Minds

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The team woke up and prepared to leave to continue their journey west.

As they prepared they saw a group of large men coming towards them. They smelled of trouble.

One of them, obviously the leader, walked up and gave an evil smirk. He was absolutely disgusting, with his drawling mouth, fat face which was stained with food, his large hairy hands, and his little beady eyes made the team's skin crawl.

"Why don't you shrimps hand us over the women and your food, we might let you live if you do."

They gave the ugly group nasty stares and they took out their machine guns that they packed, "How about you leave and we might let _you_ live" said Hotch.

The group were in shock but immediately back down and ran off.

"Cowards but at least their smarter then they appear" said Rossi.

Then suddenly they heard gun shots and they saw the group coming back with weapons of their own.

"Get inside the buildings and take cover" shouted Morgan.

They rain into an abandoned general store and Hotch carried Reid to safety. The hid behind the counter and Reid and Garcia hid in the kitchen. They barricaded the back doors.

Shots were fired and screams of pain were heard.

Finally after much gun fire, they group was dead on the floor.

The team was alright but a groan of pain made their blood go cold.

Rossi was shot right before they shot that last man who was alive. He managed to shot Rossi right into his chest. The shot was very close to his heart.

"DAVE" shouted Hotch. The team ran over to him and they tried to put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding but there was so much blood and Rossi had blood dribbling out of the corners of his mouth.

"Dave…just hold on…will get you some bandages and some medicine and you'll be ok" said JJ.

"…JJ…I can't feel any pain…I know I'm dying" said Rossi in a weak voice.

"No you're not, you going to live" shouted Morgan.

"Promise to bury me somewhere nice like in a small plot of grass, if there is any left."

"Dave please, don't leave us" begged Emily.

"I'm sorry…take care of yourselves…make sure Reid gets better…and…you guys can find a…home."

Rossi closed his eyes.

Morgan checked his pulse and heart, Rossi was dead.

They shed silent tears and Hotch placed a clean sheet over his body.

They did find a small plot of grass just outside of the town. Morgan and Hotch made a coffin out of some wood they found in the general store. Emily and JJ found some flowers in a garden. There were only a few that weren't dead. Garcia tended to Reid, who was getting worse and coughing more often.

They had a small funeral, Hotch remembered a prayer that he gave on his son's funeral and they put the flowers on Rossi's grave. Morgan found a large stone cross in a small house and craved Rossi's name in it.

They were silent for a long time then they realized that they had to leave.

They packed in silence and left the town.

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	6. Chapter 6

I don't own Criminal Minds

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They walked down the road in silence for a long time. Spencer was still getting worse, coughing more violently every hour and becoming weaker as well.

The team felt a sense of dread, knowing that they will soon lose their other friend Spencer.

Eventually it was nightfall and the team set up camp for the night.

They were on a small hill that overlooked a small abandoned town. All around them was a wasteland that was once a thriving country, full of people and always moving.

It was so strange to see the world so quiet and motionless; it was eerie to say the least.

They sat around small campfire and made some stew for dinner. They ate in silence for a while until Garcia finally spoke.

"Remember when we would go to the local diner back home? We would eat and talk until the restaurant was empty."

They all smiled and remembered how they would hang out after a case and sometimes go to a club or bar.

But then Spencer's loud coughing brought them back to reality. Garcia went to go see him and try to get him to eat some dinner.

Morgan sighed, "We have to do something soon or it will be too late for Reid."

They nodded but where would they find a doctor?

Suddenly out in the distance they saw a light coming from one of the houses. Someone must be living there.

Hotch and Morgan took their guns and a lantern to travel into the town. When they got to the house, they knocked on the door.

Inside were an old man and two little girls. "Hello, are you travelers" asked the man.

Hotch nodded, "Yes, we are camping not fare from her and saw the light from your house."

"Well you can the rest of your group can stay here for the night."

They thanked the man and went to get the others.

The team sat in the living room, except for Spencer, who was sleeping in one of the guest bedrooms.

"I see that your friend id very ill. I'm a doctor and I can try to help him to the best of my ability" said the old man as he passed out some cups of tea to the rest of the team.

"Thank you sir and for helping our friend" said Emily.

"Of course."

He left the room and the team began to feel strange, just before blacking out, they realized that the tea was laced with sleeping pills.

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	7. Chapter 7

I don't own Criminal Minds

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The team woke up and they found themselves in the living room that they were in before. Only now it was morning and even worse, their supplies and wagons are gone.

Still the immediately realized that Spencer wasn't with them and were worried that the old man hurt him. Morgan and Garcia ran upstairs to the guest bedroom and found Spencer lying in his bed.

He wasn't hurt but he looked better and his fever was going down. Plus he wasn't coughing anymore.

"If that man took our supplies…why did he help Reid" asked Morgan.

"Morgan…an elderly man and two young girls could never pull two wagons full of supplies and be out of town in only a few hours. Something else happened here."

Suddenly Prentiss ran up the stairs and into the room. "Guys the wagons aren't gone, they were pulled behind the building…but we also found the two girls and old man. You might want to see this."

They walked outside to find that they had been slaughtered and it looked like parts of them were eaten. The scene was horrifying.

"Ok well they were trying to take the wagons…but something happened or maybe they had help and there was some sort of fight" said Garcia.

"This attack was pretty gruesome to say the least and I see no murder weapons. This wasn't the work of a gun from the look of the wounds. It was the work of something else" said Hotch.

"Well let's go before something else happens" said JJ

"Still I wonder why the old man helped Spencer when they tried to rob us" said Morgan

"Probably to cure his conscience" said JJ.

**Flashback**

The old man sighed as the group fell to the floor in a deep drug-induced sleep. Still he knew that in order to survive, they would have to remain quiet.

Outside he could already see that they are close to the house. He calls the girls to shut off the lights then come help him move the wagons to the back.

They had to move quickly before "they" come. But they moved to slow and they stood in the backyard as they were surrounded.

All the old man could think was, how humans became so barbaric and cruel.

But at least the group inside was safe and the boy upstairs would finally heal from his sickness.

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	8. Chapter 8

I don't own Criminal Minds

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The team managed to find some supplies and food but it really wasn't much. Still they had the wagons and the blankets, pots, and some other things were still in the wagons.

They kept thinking about what had happened the night at the old man's house and who attacked them so brutally. Once they were all loaded up and set, they left the town and onto the debris-filled road again.

Eventually they found themselves on a long stretch of road in the middle of a vast, arid plain. They knew that they must be in the Midwestern part of the country, or what was left of it.

It was a hot day and the lack of wind made the heat unbearable. They took some on the sheets they found in the old man's house and used them to protect their heads and shoulders from the hot rays that managed to break through the disgusting black and dark-green clouds of smog. They also dipped the sheets in cold water they had to help cool them off.

Spencer was still not strong enough to walk but he was slowly improving. Whatever medicine the old man used was defiantly helping.

Suddenly the wind began to pick up and the sound of thunder was heard. A powerful storm was coming in; they needed to find shelter fast.

In the distance they see a small shack. They drag the wagons as fast as they could, trying to get there before the storm hits.

They managed to make it just in time. They covered the wagons and tied them down with rocks so the tarps don't blow away. Garcia and JJ took some of the food out one of the wagons and made some vegetable stew. They ate all of it and Spencer was finally able to eat with them instead of Garcia having to spoon-feed him.

They ate in silence; they still were mourning Rossi's death. Fate has been cruel so far…they hoped it won't get much worse.

Suddenly they heard a shout coming from outside, "Help, someone. Please HELP."

They rushed outside to see a man struggling in the intense storm. He was practically being blown away.

They managed to get him into the shack, where he slumped to the ground to catch his breath. He was a thin man with grey hair and had a large backpack on with other bags in his hands.

"Thank you so much, I should have known that the storm would get this bad. From what I've learned, storms in the Midwest are very violent now."

"Who are you" asked Emily.

"I'm William Harris; I was a professor before the war. I studied and taught psychology and sociology. I'm going to a settlement that is in the west, somewhere near where San Francisco used to be."

"How come you're alone" asked Hotch.

"Well my partner, Eric, was killed by a vicious group of people a week ago. Then again seeing people like that don't surprise me."

"What do you mean?"

"As the war progressed, I studied the changes in our society. I noticed that now that modern civilization is gone, human society has collapse and people are reverting back to their barbaric primal instinct and this is leading to violence and sometimes cannibalism. The radiation that is also infecting their brains doesn't really help either."

The team looked at one another. Great now there were _literarily_ blood-thirsty humans out there.

William took some soup out of his backpack and they let him use the small coal-fire they made to heat it up.

"I'll leave once the storm passes. You best be on your toes around here. This is a major hunting ground for them."

The storm passed after another hour and the man left. The team decided to sleep for a bit before they set out again.

Little did they know, a group of people with an evil glint in their eyes was waiting outside of the shack.

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	9. Chapter 9

I don't own Criminal Minds

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The team was preparing to go to sleep in the creaking shack for the night. They would have to get up early since they won't be able to get to far when the blistering sun comes out. Who would have thought the Great Plains would be hotter than hell's fire.

As they slept, Hotch woke up to the sound of scuffling. As he got out of bed to look out the small window, he saw a group of people that had made his heart clench with fear. Their teeth, skin and clothing were stained with blood. They barely even looked human. Their mouths dripped with saliva and blood. They were just waiting…waiting for them to come out so they can have the team for an early breakfast.

As quietly as he could, he woke the rest of the team. At first they were horrified by the deformed people and their murderous eyes. But they knew they had to get to their guns…which were outside in the wagons. But why they were trying to figure out a way to get the guns, Spencer snuck out under a small window that was near the wagons. Quietly he crept to the wagons and got three of the guns they had packed. Then just before he got back into the shack he dropped the gun it clattered to the ground.

The cannibals heard the sound and ran to see Spencer struggling to get back inside with the guns. The team managed to pull him in just before one of them got a hold of Spencer's arm. "You idiot, you could have gotten killed" shouted Morgan.

He hugged Spencer tightly, "We can't lose someone else Reid." "…Morgan I'm really sorry…but you're crushing my ribs." He let go and they took the guns from Spencer. Since there were only a few of the creatures outside they managed to gun them down quickly and leave on the wagons before anymore would come.

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Eventually they stopped to rest when they were far from the shack. But when they stopped they saw a half-eaten man on the side of the road.

It was William; it looks like the cannibals got him in the middle of the night. The team buried him and made a silent prayer before they left.

"How many more people need to die…how much lower can our world go before it reaches rock bottom" JJ said quietly.

They walked in silence but then in the distance, they saw what looked like the remains of a city. A sign that was still partly intact read, "Welcome to Chicago."

PLEASE REVIEW- it's short cause I need more ideas. If you have some suggestions please send them!


	10. Chapter 10

I don't own Criminal Minds

Thank you LoveforPenandDerek and angel for some cool ideas. It helped my writers block for this story.

Enjoy

Morgan stared at the lone sign for a few minutes. His hometown was now a pile of rubble and smoke. They decided to camp there for the night and try to find anything they could use or eat.

They spent hours searching under the debris but they didn't find much. They did, however, fine a good amount a food in a bomb shelter that was partly buried under the rubble. They managed to find some more medicine in the shelter as well. Spencer's health was slowly improving but he still had times when a fever would flare up, so they needed to always have some medicine on hand.

Morgan went on his own to find his old house. Eventually he did find it but part of it was in ruins, it looked like it would collapse at any moment. Still Morgan went inside. Inside he saw his mother's kitchen. On was left on the counter was a small envelope. It was addressed to Morgan. He quickly opened it to find a letter written by his mom and sister.

**My dear son Derek,**

**I know you found come looking for us so we left you this letter. When you get this we will be miles from here. The town is a mess right now, I have never seen this much chaos in my life. We heard that there is a temporary settlement in the west, California I believe. We decided to leave and get out while we still can. I wish we could tell you over the phone or something but as I'm sure you know, all the cell phones don't work and the internet is gone as well. **

**Good Luck Derek and I miss you dearly. **

Morgan saw that his mom wrote the date of when the letter was written on the back. It was written a week before Chicago was destroyed. This means that there was a chance that his family could be alive. His heart filled with joy and relief. Tear fell from his eyes as he held the letter close to his chest. He put the letter into his pocket and ran back to the camp to tell the rest of the team.

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Spencer was lying down in the wagon and was wrapped up in a few blankets that Garcia got for him. He was shivering and coughing loudly. His body felt like it was on fire and it made it harder for him to breathe.

Garcia walked over to him and got him some more water for him to drink. When she felt his forehead she couldn't believe how feverish he had become. She got out some soft towels and a bucket of water from the wagon. She helped him remove his sweat-drenched shirt to wash his back and chest with cool water. Spencer sighed and smiled. "Thank you Penelope…" She smiled, "Of course…do you want some soup?" Spencer nodded and she got up to get him a bowl. She spoon-fed him until the bowl as empty. Just before she got up to put the bowl away, he gently grabbed her wrist. Spencer eyes made Garcia blush and she quickly got up and ran away. He looked away and wondered where that sudden moment of boldness came from.

Garcia put away the bowl and held her head in her right hand. "Damn it Spencer…" she sighed and went to get a bowl of soup for herself.

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	11. Chapter 11

I don't own Criminal Minds

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The night was cold; the fire that they made was doing little to fight against the chill. The air smelled putrid from the smoke and rubbish around them. They huddled together one of the wagons to help as warm as possible as the wind blew and howled thought the crumbling remains of the city. Spencer sat close to Garcia, at first she protested and said she was ok but her shivers told different. Spencer sat next to her but didn't lay a hand on her; she was surprised that he didn't make a move or anything. He just sat there.

Morgan told the team about the letter, it made them more hopeful that there truly was a settlement in the west. So finally after the sun rose and wind died down, the team set off to travel west. Their spirits were high and finally after so long, they felt as if everything will be alright.

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Down the road, they stopped to get some water from a small pond nearby. The water was fresh and cold. They took a few containers full before they started to set off but Spencer, who was finally well enough to walk and help move the wagons, saw something in the distance. A small group of people it looked like. "Guys I see people, north of here" shouted Spencer. They looked up and saw four people and a small child with them. They shouted at the small group and they looked up and saw the team. In a few minutes the group walked to the pond to greet them. The group of people looked lost and frightened, while the child seemed distant and gloomy.

"Are you going to the settlement in the west" asked Morgan. They shook their heads. The middle-aged man with dark circles under his eyes spoke. "We're going northwest, to the mountains. It's a much farther trip." "Why" asked Garcia. The group did not speak, "May we have some water and a bit of food, we have none left." Hotch nodded and gave them some food to eat. They smiled and thanked them as they walked away. Spencer felt there was something odd about the group but Hotch told them they had to get going why it was still bright out. As they left, Spencer noticed that the people completely disappeared and on the grown where they stood, was the food they gave them but it was moldy and rotten now.

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	12. Chapter 12

I don't own Criminal Minds

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The team traveled on and on for three days until finally they reached another town. It was abandoned but there was fresh water and a large supermarket with plenty of untainted food left. "What luck, we'll have enough food to last us for a month" said JJ with a smile on her face. Spencer and Garcia were getting water but Garcia was having trouble carrying the water and soon she tripped. Spencer dropped the water and caught her before she fell to the ground. He helped her up but she kept staring at him. Suddenly Garcia grabbed him and gave Spencer a sweet, yet quick kiss. Spencer was dumbfounded and was speechless when Garcia pulled away and went to carry the water to the temporary camp. No words were spoken after that.

At the camp the team made dinner and watched the sun set. For some reason the smog was not that bad that night so the sun was visible. "It like there is hope after all" said Prentiss. The team nodded in agreement. Eventually they settled in for the night and went to sleep.

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Garcia woke up during the night; she saw that everyone else was asleep. She left the camp and started to walk to a small hill with a tree on the top. She sat down and stared at the night sky. She sighed and felt tears flowing down her face. But then a hand appeared and wiped the tears away. She looked up and saw Spencer sitting down next to her.

"Can't sleep?" Garcia nodded, "What will happen to all of us Spencer? I doubt there is any settlement out there. What hope is there now, the world is over?" Spencer placed his hand on her cheek. "Penelope, it may be the end of the world we lived in once but now it's the start of a new one. It may not be bright and cheery now…but soon it will be. The world can start over again and maybe it's for the best that it does." She nodded, "But what about…us and the team?" Spencer sighed, "It's hard to say…we already lost Dave…but now he's with his family. So we'll live as long as we can, ok?" Garcia nodded and she kissed him again.

Spencer held her close as they kissed. When they pulled away from each other, Spencer gently touched her hair. "You're beautiful in every way." She smiled and kissed him again.

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That morning the team got up to get ready to leave. "Come on guys we have a big day ahead of us" said Hotch. As they were packing Spencer saw something near one of the buildings. It was a truck that looked to be completely intact. Spencer went over to take a look at it, Morgan followed him. After some tinkering and filling the car with gas they found in one of the homes, the car started. The team yelled in trumpet and used the car to help pull one of the wagons and hold more stuff they needed. They drove down the road with smiles, but Garcia and Spencer were discreetly holding hands and glancing at each other from time to time.

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	13. Chapter 13

I don't own Criminal Minds

In this chapter prepare for some major conspiracy. I'm not a huge believer in that stuff but for this story, it seemed to roll with it quite well.

Enjoy

The group was very close to the settlement; they saw the road was much more improved as they ventured on, like it had been fixed recently and regularly. This meant that people must be living nearby. They drove on with the wagons being pulled behind them. Just before the sun set, they saw small buildings on the horizon. "GUYS I SEE THE TOWN, WE FINALLY MADE IT" shouted Morgan. The team cheered.

They drove on and soon reached a large gate made of metal and wood. Two men came out of the large door that was attached to the gate. "Who are you" they asked. "We are survivors from the east coast" said Hotch. The men looked at them for a moment and saw the wagons in the back. "Good, welcome. Please come in" they said. They opened the gate wider so they could drive in.

Inside they saw many small houses made from brick and stone. They were well-built and even had glass windows. There paved streets and horse drawn wagons. There was a park, a school, a town hall, a hospital, and some shops. It was a complete full-working community. There were people walking down the streets and even children playing in the playground nearby.

"Our town has fresh water and we have a large farm that produces all the food we need. Also we use domesticated animals for travel and food. We are total independent and our population is growing by the day" said the man.

They looked around and felt so at home, almost like everything was normal again.

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They were given space to make their own houses. For days they worked on their homes with the help of the other members of the town. Also they had to get jobs since in order for the town to prosper; everyone had to make some sort of contribution.

Spencer decided to open a library; he helped manage records and kept books of the world before the disaster safe for generations to come. Morgan worked as a police officer and regularly did route walks around the town. Prentiss worked on building houses and construction projects. Despite the job being tough it was rewarding. JJ worked as a teacher for the youngest children, mostly pre-schoolers. She loved her job very much and spent much of her time with the children and finding new books to read to them in Spencer's library. Hotch worked along with the mayor in helping creating a working justice system and a bank. This would take time but as the town grew, laws and order would become necessary. Finally, Garcia was working to help get a cell phone tower and some sort of internet system working.

Life was simple yet it involved a lot of hard work.

A month after they moved in, Garcia went to Spencer's house. She knocked on his door. "Penny, what's up" he asked. "Spence, we need to talk." Spencer gulped as she came into his house. "I just went to the doctor…I've been sick and throwing up a lot...I just found out that I'm pregnant." Spencer was stunned but immediately hugged her and kissed her. "I can't believe it…a baby." She smiled and hugged him back. But soon they realized they would have to tell the others.

Yet meanwhile at the town hall, Hotch was finishing up some paperwork before heading home. As he filed some away he saw some papers fly out from the cabinet he opened. He went to pick them up but saw something strange. It was a government file. He opened it to find something that made his heart sink.

This town was a top secret government experiment and would soon be destroyed in a matter of months. According to the file, the town was made to lure people into the town and then once a number of them have come in, the people would be taken for secret experiments in an undisclosed location. What's even worse was that many of these "towns" were all over the globe. Which proved to things, one that the U.S. government was still working but now was underground with over international governments and two; their intentions were less than good? Even worse, the mayor and several other members of the town were in on the whole thing. As he quickly hid the file in his bag, he failed to notice two men creeping up behind him. They hit him over the head with a vase.

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	14. Chapter 14

I don't own Criminal Minds

Enjoy

As Spencer and Garcia left to go to work, they heard the loud speaker that was on a large pole, high above the small houses.

"_Attention, there will be an important town meeting today at nightfall. All citizens must attend."_

Spencer and Garcia looked at each other, "I wonder what the mayor wants to talk about" asked Garcia.

Spencer shrugged, "Well, in the mean time we have to go to work. So I guess we'll have to tell everyone after the meeting." Garcia nodded in agreement. They smiled and hugged again before they walked to work together.

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Hotch woke up in a dark, cold room. His wrists and ankles were bound with rope. He saw a metal door on the other side of the room. He struggled to get the tape off. Suddenly he heard the announcement over the loud speaker. His heartbeat sped up.

"The mayor must be planning to trap everyone at the town house and imprison them like the files said. I have to warn everyone" he thought.

He continued to struggle, praying for some miracle to come and save him and the rest of the team.

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The day seemed to fly by that day. Soon it was near nightfall and the whole town was walking to the town hall. Spencer and Garcia were holding hands. They managed to find a small space in the back of the room and sat down. The rest of the team arrived not long after and sat next to Spencer and Garcia.

Morgan noticed they were holding hands, "You guys are together" he asked with a big smile.

JJ and Prentiss squealed happily and gave them both big hugs. "I'm so happy for you guys" they said.

Spencer nodded and smiled too, "Yeah…and we have something else to tell you guys."

But before he would tell them the news the mayor and several other men went onto the small platform at the other end of the room.

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Hotch finally got himself free but the door was locked. He noticed that there was a window on the door. He looked thought it and saw the handle was just a few inches from the window. He managed to squeeze his hand thought the bars and open the door from the outside. He got out of the room and noticed that he was in the basement of the mayor's home. He left the house and ran as fast as he could to the town hall.

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"Our town has become prosperous and is a beacon of hope in our collapse world. So today we have wonderful news."

Nobody noticed that other men have locked the doors and windows. Suddenly a small army of men appeared out of hidden doors from either side of the platform.

"You're all going to listen to what we say unless you want to be shot" said the mayor.

People shrieked in terror as they were forced through the doors that lead to large flatbed trucks with cages on them. The men with guns pushed and shoved the people; they even shot a few people already.

"We have to get out of here" said Prentiss.

The others nodded, there was no way they could fight off an army of men with weapons. They ran to the door but found it was locked. Suddenly it was opened by none-other then, Hotch.

"Oh thank god man" shouted Morgan. They ran out of the town hall but to find that other men were pouring flammable fluid on the houses and every building in the town.

"We have to leave the town before it blows up" shouted Hotch.

The team ran out onto the desert that was on the outskirts of the town. As they ran further, the town behind them blew sky high and the trucks of people were already driving far away. The team took cover behind some abandoned cars outside of the town.

Once the explosions stopped, the team emerged from the cars and looked at the place that was their least hope for a new life.

"Why in the world…"said Prentiss still in shock of what happened.

"It was all a set up" said Hotch.

"What?"

He pulled out a number of files from his jacket and some he took from the mayor's house.

"This town was a lure for people to some and then be taken to a lab for experimentation."

They looked at the files and were in shock, "This has been happening for so long…" said JJ.

"Maybe the collapse of our society was part of it as well" said Spencer.

"What do you mean" asked Morgan.

Spencer took handed them another file, "Operation Rebirth. This was started long ago, way before the war. This operation was meant to start the world all other again and make an ideal society. Yet the experimentation of humans is n mentioned here."

"…oh god…my mom and sister must have been taken too" said Morgan. The team was crestfallen; they were once again in a cold, cruel world with nowhere to go.

"Well we have to go and stop them" said Spencer. The team looked at him as if he was half crazy. "We can't take them down; every government from all over the world is working together and have armies to back them up. How can we stop it" said Prentiss.

"Guys, we have to sop them somehow. We managed to stop the worst killers and psychotics, we can stop them too and try and save those people. We have too" said Spencer.

The team looked at each other, then Hotch finally spoke. "Morgan and Prentiss, see what we can salvage from the town after the fires die down. Garcia see if you can finds any computer equipment as well. The rest of us will find a car to use. The trucks were heading northwest. We'll head off in the morning hopefully or at least by the end of tomorrow.

They split up to prepare, but they didn't know that they were being watched.

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